Tom Gray is a British songwriter, composer, and activist. He is a founding member of the rock band Gomez,[3] and the founder of the Broken Record campaign.[4] He is the recipient of the 2022 Unsung Hero Award presented by the Music Producer’s Guild UK.[5]
Tom Gray | |
|---|---|
 Tom Gray, self-portrait at home May, 2022 | |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer and activist[1] |
| Known for | Gomez, The Broken Record campaign[2] |
WorkEdit
Gray is a founding member and one of three vocalists in the UK indie rock band Gomez.[6][7] With Gomez, he won the Mercury Prize in 1998.[8]
He founded the Broken Record campaign in March 2020 to seek fairer remuneration for music creators, especially from streaming.[9] The campaign helped to initiate a UK parliamentary inquiry into the ‘Economics of streaming’.[10][11] In April 2021, Gray wrote a letter to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, requesting better rights for creators and for the industry to be referred to the UK Competition and Markets Authority. The letter was co-signed by other 200 notable individuals in UK music industry including The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush and Chris Martin.[12]
As a composer, Gray has worked in film and television. He wrote the score for the first season of In My Skin, a comedy-drama series on the BBC and Hulu.[13] He has also composed for the adaptation of Danny Champion of the World for the stage as a musical.[14]
In February 2021, Gray was elected as the Chair of the Ivors Academy, the British association of songwriters and composers. He led several campaigns through the academy, which has resulted in an international conversation around reform of the streaming market.[15][2] He is also an elected Council Member of the Performing Rights Society.[16]
On June 9, 2022, Gray was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by the Music Producers Guild, UK.[5]
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Noah, Sherna. "Gomez singer Tom Gray: Major record labels are not developing new artists". independent.
- ^ a b Eoghan, Lyng (2 February 2022). "Gomez guitarist Tom Gray elected Chair of the Ivors Academy". faroutmagazine.co.uk.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (7 March 2002). "Alexis Petridis meets Gomez". the Guardian.
- ^ "Tom Gray from Gomez on why the record industry is broken - Double J". Double J.
- ^ a b "MPG Awards 2022: Full Winners List". headlinermagazine.net.
- ^ Lambeth, Sam (1 November 2017). "Gomez - Interview". Louder Than War.
- ^ Brian F. Johnson. "Guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Tom Gray".
- ^ "The results of the 1998 Mercury Music Prize album of the year". NME. 17 August 1998.
- ^ "Gomez singer Tom Gray claims streaming payments to artists are 'pretty horrific'". www.newschainonline.com. 24 November 2020.
- ^ Savage, Mark (15 October 2020). "MPs to investigate whether artists are paid fairly for streaming music". BBC News.
- ^ "Economics of music streaming". UK Parliament.
- ^ Savage, Mark (7 June 2021). "The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones call for streaming reforms". BBC News.
- ^ "Insta AMA with Tom Gray of #BrokenRecord campaign and Gomez". The Music Producers Guild. MPG News. 10 February 2021.
- ^ Able, Sane. "Sarah Tipple". The Agency.
- ^ Skinner, Tom (1 February 2022). "Gomez member and streaming campaigner Tom Gray appointed Chair of the Ivors Academy". NME.
- ^ Stassen, Murray (22 May 2019). "Antony Bebawi, Tom Gray, Crispin Hunt and Philip Pope appointed to PRS for Music Board". Music Business Worldwide.